Apparatus for utilizing refuse of breweries



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,Y

.HUGH WELAFFERTY, OF GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FAO'RI/UTILIZING REFUSE OF BREWERIES..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,704, dated July 20,1886.

Application fileddFebruary 3, 1886. Serial No. 190,747. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known tliat I, HUGH W. LAEEERTY, of Gloucester, in the county ofCamden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Utilizing the Refuse or Slo'ps ofBreweries, Distilleries, Starch-Factories, &c., of which improvementsthe following is a specification.

In an application for Letters Patent filed by me under date of December17, 1885, Serial No. 185,881, I have set forth and claimed a process ormethod of treating the semi-liquid residuum consisting ofa mixture ofwater with hulls of grain, meal, gluten, gum, cellulose, and otheringredients, which is produced in large quantities Where grain ofdifferent descriptions is subjected to the action of water and heat forthe purpose of extracting certain of its constituents-as, for example,in brewing, distilling, and the manufacture of starch.

My present invention relates to means for effectively carrying out theprocess above referred to; and my improvements consist in an apparatusor plant, as hereinafter' described, and as described and shown, but notclaimed, in my application,Serial No. 185,881,aforesai d, for thepractice of said process.

The improvements ,claimed are hereinafter fully set forth. A

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates an apparatus orplant enibodying my invention, the semi-liquid residuum to be treated isdelivered as produced through a spout or channel, 2, into areceiving-tank, 1, which should be provided with a suitable stirrer oragitator, 3, by the rotation of which the liquid and solid constituentsof the residuum Vare kept thoroughly mixed together to prevent thesettling of the solid matters. The residuum is drawn off from the tank 1through a discharge-spout, 4, governed bya cock or valve, 5, into acentrifugal separatingmachine, 6, adapted to separate thersolid and'liquid constituents by the difference of their specific gravities underthe influence of centrifugal force. y

The construction of the centrifugal separating-machine not constitutingpart of mypresent invention, and various types thereof being known inthe art, the same need not be herein set forth, further than to specifythat it should be provided with a solid or imperforate drum or basket,so vas to obviate` any loss of solid matter' in the separation of thewater. Rotation being imparted to the drum orl basket of the centrifugalseparator 6, and the residuum fed continuously thereto, the solidconstituents are driven by the action of centrifugal force against theinner surface of the drum, and there accumulate, while the major portionof the water is discharged through one or more passages at the top ofthedrum into the casing ofthe machine, and escapes, free fromsolidconstituents, through a pipe, 7, by which it is led to any desired pointof discharge. The moist and pasty aggregation of solid matter whichaccumulates on the wall of the drum or basket of the centrifugalseparatorfi, and which will be found to be in volume about one-fifth ofthe charge supplied thereto, is cleared off from time to time as thedrum becomes filled, and discharged from the drum through a chute,

'8,- from which it is fed, either directly or in n separate successivecharges, as may be found most convenient, into the receiving-hopper of acontinuous press, 10, by which a further separation of the solid andliquid constituents of the residuum as received from the separator 6 iseffected, a very large proportion, 01 nearly all, of the solid materialbeing discharged in a comparatively-dry condition from thedelivery-opening 11 of the press into a suitable bin or receptacle, 12,while the water, with such small proportion of gluten and other solidconstituents as it may carry 0H, is squeezed outby the press into a panor trough, 13.

To e'ect the retention and saving of any solid constituents of thewatery discharge from the press 10, the same is fed from the pan 13through a pipe, 14, into a secondary or supplemental centrifugalseparating-machine, 15,A of similar construction to that rst specified.The remaining portion of the contained solid matter is collected in thedrum of the machine 15, and is discharged therefrom from time to timethrough a chute into the bin 12, which receives the solid discharge ofthe press,while the clear Water is discharged into the casing-of themachine and runs off through a waste-pipe. The comparatively-drymaterial supplied, as above stated, from the press and secondarycentrifugal separator to the bin 12, is carried therefrom in anyconvenient manner, as by a conveyer, 18, to a feedspout, 19, from whichIOO it is delivered to the hopper 2O of a mixer, 21, in which itsparticles are thoroughly mixed together, and is iinally fed through a chnte or conduit, 22, into the receiving-hopper 23 of a drier, 24, of anyapproved construction. Inasmueh as nearly all the moisture has beenremoved from the material in the preceding` operations, theapplieatiouofaeomparativelylow degree of heat for a brief period suffices tocomplete is a thorough manner the drying operation,andthe resultantproduct as removed from the drier will be in proper condition to bepacked for storage or transportation in readiness for use.

I do not desire to limit myself to the use of apparatus specificallysimilar to that herein set forth, as the same may be varied in manyparticulars without departing from the spirit of my invention, so longas a series of meehanisms possessing similar capacities in operation isemployed to coaet as an organized plant in the performance of a process,as hereinbefore described.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In aplant or apparatus for the utilization of refuse or slops of breweries,distilleries, die., the combination ofa centrifugal separatingmachine, astraining or expressing press, and a drier, substantially as set forth.

2. In a plant or apparatus for the utilization of refuse or slops oi'breweries, distilleries, 'c., the combination of a centrifugalseparating-machine, a straining or expressing press, a secondarycentrifugal separating-machine, and a drier, substantially as set forth.

3. In a plant or apparatus for the utilization of refuse or slops frombreweries, distilleries, Sie., the combination of a receiving tank orvessel, a discharge spoilt or channel leading therefrom, a centrifugalseparating-machine adapted to receive the material delivered from saidspout or channel, a chute or passage serving to convey thepartially-solid residue delivered from said machine to the feed-hopperof a straining or expressing press, a pipe serving to carry off thewatery discharge from said press, a secondary centrifugal machinereceiving said discharge, a mixer receiving the partialy-solid residuesof the press and the seeondary centrifugal separating-machine, and adrier adapted to receive the material discharged from said mixer,substantially as set forth.

HUGH WV. LAFFERTY.

\`Vitnesses:

EDM'UND W. LAFFERTY, JAMns M. CAssA DY.

